Wood Fences, Goats, and Sheep

[Preservation Acres]

I've been trying to find a nice fence design for the road frontage on my property. The fence will will be holding goats, sheep, and a couple of donkeys. I'm going to make it about 4.5 feet high. I have cedar posts, but need to buy the other wood.

Any help from you guys would be very much appreciated.

What kind of wood, and what size boards?
What kind of coating for the posts and boards?
How far apart should the posts be?

 

[CANDLE98]

I would also like to see what everyone says about this!

 

[azelgin]

After being the former owner/maintainer of a wooder white rail fence, I can see why the new PCV plastic ones are becoming popular. No upkeep.

 

[Preservation Acres]

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Is my photo showing for you? Not sure what's my issue.

 

[Preservation Acres]

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I've looked at a few of those, and they don't look very sturdy. How does their quality compare to a wood fence?

 

[azelgin]

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Ok, I guess I should say what we had. This was almost thirty years ago. There was 1000 feet of wood fence. 4 x 4 pressure treated posts @ 8' on center 5 feet tall. 4 - 2 x 6 douglas fir rails with a flat 2 x 6 on the top rail. First, the sheep started sticking their heads between the rails. The lanolin from the wool collected dust and made it look greasy and dirty. We ended up streaching wire between each of the rails to keep their greasy heads in. Then, the horse started leaning against the top rail in the winter and causing it to lean, so, we put a hot wire on the inside of the top rail. Thank god we didn't have goats too. Oh yea, re-painting it before we moved was alot of fun too.

 

[Preservation Acres]

The plastic fence idea is sounding better.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

If you plan to build it like the picture, all you will have left is donkeys, because goats and sheep will go right through anything much over 6 inches.

I have a similar fence with electric wire run between the boards that keeps everything in, but still has the appearance youre looking for

 

[azelgin]

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I've looked at a few of those, and they don't look very sturdy. How does their quality compare to a wood fence?

I can't really say. The one person that I did talk to about them wasn't impressed with their durability. His horses kept breaking them when it was extremly cold out side. He was in Montrose, CO.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I drive by a pasture with the pvc type fence. It's really pretty, but there are almost always boards knocked down by the horses.